Conveyor roller systems are used by the manufacturing and transport, as well as other, industries in the movement of goods. One conventional system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,140 (incorporated herein by reference) provides a plurality of rollers, each having integrally-formed around the barrel portion of the roller, a plurality of radially-disposed, recessed splines configured to receive a series of lateral projections, e.g. ribs, disposed on an inner surface of a drive belt. The roller and the roller conveyor system provide a cost savings over rollers having swaged or welded gear teeth or sprockets. To advantageously accommodate design considerations, the recessed splines may be integrally-formed about the barrel portion of the roller on at least one end or intermediate the ends.
A problem confronted with belt-type conveyor is the movement or walking of the belt to one end or the other of the belt drive portion of the roller. In the field of flat belt conveying, it is known to provide at least one of the belt rollers or pulleys with a crown or a point of greater diameter, intermediate the length of the roller, which causes the belt to ride proximate its lateral midpoint at the crown of the roller or pulley.